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Links to Interesting and Significant Articles on the Web, by weeksNote: These links are posted from the bottom up during each week.

For the Week of 1/14/18:

Will Globalists Sacrifice The Dollar To Get Their “New World Order”? – by Brandon Smith – https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/will-globalists-sacrifice-the-dollar-to-get-their-new-world-order.html – “There are many people today in the liberty movement who understand this dynamic, but even in alternative economic circles there are some that do not understand the full picture when it comes to central banks and fiat mechanisms. There is a false notion that paper currencies are the life blood of the establishment and that they will seek to protect these currencies at all costs. This might have been true 20 years ago or more, but it is not true today. Things change… The king of this delusion is the US dollar. As the world reserve currency it is thought by some to be “untouchable”, a pillar of the globalist structure that will be defended for many decades to come. The reality, however, is that the dollar is nothing more than another con game on paper to the globalists; a farce that they are happy to sacrifice in order to further their goals of complete centralization of world trade and therefore the complete centralization of control over human survival… That is to say, the dollar is a stepping stone for them, nothing more.”

Paul Levy email, 1/18/19:Hi Everyone, Happy 2019. I hope you are well. Here is something I just wrote about the previous century’s greatest gift to our present moment in time. I’ve also included below my most recent interview – with Mel Fabregas from Veritas Radio. Enjoy, keep lucidly dreaming, Paul

THE TWENTIETH CENTURY’S GREATEST GIFT TO 2019 – by Paul Levy – Quantum physics is revealing to us that we are not just passive observers of this world, but are active participants who are involved—whether we know it or not—in creating our experience of both the world and ourselves. In other words, quantum physics—the wisdom tradition of modern times—is revealing to us that we are intrinsically creative beings by our very nature… The revelations emerging from quantum physics are expanding the realm of the possible to previously unimaginable degrees, overcoming—and waking us up from—what Russian philosopher Nicolas Berdyaev calls “the nightmare of the finite.” It is revealing that the world is more open-ended—in touch with the infinite—and malleable than we had previously imagined, and that our world is one that we have more than one hand in creating. It is a world, Berdyaev continues, “open and plastic, with boundless horizons and possibilities of breaking through to other worlds.”.. Quantum theorist Christopher Fuchs writes, “The real question is which point of view about quantum mechanics is the most ripe for leading to new things…. Understanding that the world is, at its core, malleable to our hands? I think that that will ultimately be the greatest gift this century [the twentieth] has to give to the next.” The mutability of the universe—which quantum physics has discovered is one of the primary aspects of nature—says that nothing is absolute and fixed, nothing is so fundamental that it cannot change under certain circumstances,and this includes the very laws of the universe. Even an incredibly, ridiculously unlikely outcome could possibly happen “in reality.” Quantum physics—in questioning and pushing the edge about what is truly possible—has promoted itself to become the magical elixir that heals the venom of the impossible. – Link to Paul’s interview on Radio Veritas:http://www.veritasradio.com/guests/2019/01jan/VS-190117-plevy.php

The Russian Pension Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost… – by The Saker – http://www.unz.com/tsaker/the-russian-pension-chickens-are-coming-home-to-roost/ – “Over 50 percent of Russians are disappointed in the government of Dmitry Medvedev, which, they believe, is unable to curb growing prices and provide jobs for people, a new poll has revealed. Some 23 percent said they were absolutely sure that the government must resign, with another 30 percent telling Levada-Center that they were also leaning toward this opinion. This means that a total of 53 percent would like the country to have a new cabinet. Trust in the government has crumbled since September, when only 23 percent advocated its resignation. Meanwhile, the proportion of people who believed the government should stay in charge was 40 percent, with 14 percent expressing full confidence in the cabinet, and 26 percent saying that resignation wouldn’t be the best idea…. In the post-modern West, where political discourse has been reduced to a particularly nauseating form of intellectual flatulence, the very notion of “class” and “class warfare” has been fully replaced with vapid (pseudo-) identity politics which completely obfuscate all the real issues and problems our world is dealing with. Thus, by removing the concepts and categories needed to understand the nature of the struggle which is taking place internationally, but also inside each of the countries currently living under the AngloZionist yoke, the leaders of the Empire have deprived the people they rule over from the means to understand why and how they are oppressed. All that nonsense about “gay” rights, gun control, #meetoo, the many sex scandals, the struggle for racial identity (White or Black or any other), abortion, drugs and all the rest of the crap we are fed on a daily basis by the AngloZionist propaganda machine are primarily a distraction to keep the eyes of the general population from the real issues. In a way, this zombification and re-direction to fake topics serves exactly the same function as the red cape of the bullfighter: to keep the bull busy with trying to gore a harmless red piece of cloth while completely missing the real cause of his suffering and eventual death… From that point of view, the Russian people are much better informed and have a much better understanding of what is going on.” (emphasis added) – Question: Are the people of the West even marginally prepared for media which present them with something resembling the truth?

Video: The EU Votes for the Installation of New US Missiles in Europe – by Manlio Dinucci – https://www.globalresearch.ca/video-eu-votes-installation-new-us-missiles-europe/5665231 – “Near the United Nations Glass Palace in New York, there is a metallic sculpture entitled “Evil Defeated by Good”, representing Saint George transfixing a dragon with his lance. It was donated by the USSR in 1990 to celebrate the INF Treaty concluded with the USA in 1987, which banned land-based short- and mid-range nuclear missiles (a reach of between 500 and 5,000 km). Symbolically, the body of the dragon is in fact made with pieces of US Pershing-2 ballistic missiles (originally based in West Germany) and Soviet SS-20 missiles (originally based in the USSR)… But the nuclear dragon, which in the sculpture is shown as dying, is now being reborn. Thanks to Italy and other countries of the European Union, which, at the United Nations General Assembly, voted against the resolution presented by Russia on the “Preservation and Implementation of the INF Treaty”, rejected by 46 to 43 with 78 abstentions… The European Union – of which 21 of its 27 members are part of NATO (including the United Kingdom, which is currently leaving the EU) – has thus taken a uniform stance with the position of NATO, which in turn has taken a uniform stance with that of the United States.” (emphasis added) – Comment: But not to worry, the Alliance will be reversing all of this soon.

Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov’s remarks and answers to media questions at a news conference on the results of Russian diplomacy in 2018 Moscow, January 16, 2019 (transcript) – https://southfront.org/foreign-minister-sergey-lavrovs-remarks-and-answers-to-media-questions-at-a-news-conference-on-the-results-of-russian-diplomacy-in-2018-moscow-january-16-2019/ – “Ladies and gentlemen, We are delighted to welcome you to this traditional news conference on the results of our foreign policy performance last year… We would like this meeting to take place, just as before, in the form of a direct dialogue. Therefore, I will try to keep my opening remarks as concise as possible, especially since President Vladimir Putin has already spoken about our approaches to the main current topics more than once, including at his annual news conference held on December 20, 2018, as well as during the interviews he gave to Serbian newspapers yesterday… It is needless to say that the international situation remained complicated. The conflict potential increased last year, primarily because of the stubborn unwillingness of some Western countries led by the United States to accept the realities of the objectively developing multipolar world, as well as because of their desire to continue to force their will on others by means of pressure and economic and propaganda instruments…”

YPG Should Not Be Allowed To Let Syrian Army Enter Manbij: Turkey – https://southfront.org/ypg-should-not-be-allowed-to-let-syrian-army-enter-manbij-turkey/ – ” ‘The Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG) should not be allowed to let forces of the regime [of Syrian President Bashar Assad] enter Manbij,’ Hami Aksoy said during a press briefing, according to the Russian news agency, Sputnik… The Turkish diplomat also warned that the upcoming withdrawal of U.S. forces from northeastern Syria shouldn’t be in favor of the YPG and its political wing, the Democratic Union Party (PYD).”

Trump’s Anti-Iran Campaign & NDAA Clause Behind ‘Inhumane’ Detention of PressTV Anchor Marzieh Hashemi – by Whitney Webb – https://www.mintpressnews.com/presstv-american-citizen-detained/253904/ – “Hashemi — an African-American born in New Orleans, who later converted to Islam and currently works as a journalist for the Iranian English-language news network PressTV — has since been transferred to a detention facility in Washington at the request of the FBI, according to reports from PressTV and the Associated Press. U.S. officials have yet to provide any justification for Hashemi’s detention… Once Hashemi was allowed to speak to her family in the United States, she detailed a slew of abuses she had suffered during her detention, which were clear violations of her religious rights. For instance, Hashemi told her family that her hijab, or head covering, had been ripped off by prison guards and that she had been forced to pose for her mugshot with her hair exposed… Furthermore, Hashemi was also only offered pork for food, even though the meat is forbidden under Islamic law. She was subsequently denied any other halal or vegetarian food after turning the pork down. Her daughter told PressTV that Hashemi has been living off of crackers since she was first detained on Sunday. Hashemi’s daughter also stated that her mother stated that she had been “shackled” and was being treated like a criminal, in spite of the fact that no charges have been filed against her… Hashemi’s arrest took place just as U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was conducting his multi-nation “Anti-Iran tour” throughout the Middle East in a bid to “get Arab countries to work together to roll back Iranian influence in the region and take on the militias Iran is backing.” (emphasis added)

US-led Coalition Airstrikes Kill Scores Of Civilians Fleeing ISIS In Euphrates Valley – https://southfront.org/us-led-coalition-airstrikes-kill-scores-of-civilians-fleeing-isis-in-euphrates-valley/ – “On January 18, US-led coalition warplanes killed more than 20 civilians who were trying to flee the ISIS-held town of al-Baghuz al-Fawqani in the middle Euphrates River Valley, according to several Syrian sources… ‘The number of victims is expected to raise as many wounded are in critical condition,’ a reporter of the Deir Ezzor 24 blog said… Local activists revealed that the victims, most of them were women and children, had managed to escape from al-Baghuz al-Fawqani and reached a checkpoint of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). However, the US-backed group refused to let them pass and coalition warplanes targeted them on their way back to the town.”

After Manbij bombing, Macron says French troops will stay in Syria – – http://www.atimes.com/article/after-manbij-bombing-macron-says-french-troops-will-stay-in-syria/ – ” ‘The retreat from Syria announced by our American friends cannot make us deviate from our strategic objective: eradicating Daesh,’ Macron said in reference to the group also known as Islamic State or ISIS, according to AFP… He cited the deaths this week of 16 people in a suicide bombing in the northeastern Syrian city of Manbij, and said France would remain “militarily engaged” in the region over the coming year… Last month, Macron joined prominent figures in Trump’s cabinet and lawmakers in both major US political parties in criticizing Trump’s decision to pull US military personnel from Syria… ‘To be allies is to fight shoulder to shoulder. It’s the most important thing for a head of state and head of the military. An ally should be dependable,’ Macron said in December. ‘

Syrian Kurds, government plan for US withdrawal – by Sami Moubayed – http://www.atimes.com/article/syrian-kurds-government-plan-for-us-withdrawal/ – “Having run a semi-autonomous zone for years, the Kurds expect the right to open branches of their political parties throughout the rest of Syria and to promote their language, culture and music, in addition to running their own schools… Finally, they are aiming to elect their own governors and municipal councils, without having either imposed from the central government in Damascus… This is all easier said than done. Once the talks conclude and reach an executional level, initial agreements are likely to hit a series of brick walls.”

Oregon to Become First State to Mandate Universal Home Visits of All Families with New-born Children – by Brian Shilhavy – http://healthimpactnews.com/2019/oregon-to-become-first-state-to-mandate-universal-home-visits-of-all-families-with-new-born-children/ – “The Beaverton Valley Times interviewed Patrick Allen, the director of the Oregon Health Authority, who reportedly expressed excitement at the prospect of requiring home visits of all new parents, including adoptive parents: When the program is complete, every new parent — this includes adoptions — would receive a series of two or three visits by someone like a nurse or other health care practitioner… The visits could include basic health screenings for babies; hooking parents up with primary care physicians; linking them to other services; and coordinating the myriad childhood immunizations that babies need. (bold emphasis added by Shilhavy)… Allen made it clear that they were targeting all children, not just troubled families: ‘This isn’t something for people in trouble. This is stuff all kids need.’ Allen said… The state of Oregon sees about 40,000 births per year, and the universal home visit program has apparently already been piloted in Lincoln County.” (underlining added)

Trump Pledges to Protect America From Any Enemy Missile – by David Vergun – https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1734640/trump-pledges-to-protect-america-from-any-enemy-missile/ – “Missile defense is so important in a time of rapidly evolving threats from around the world, he said. Adversaries are acquiring bigger and stronger arsenals. They’re increasing their lethal strike capabilities and they’re focused on building long-range missiles that can reach targets within the United States… ‘As president, my first duty is the defense of our country,’ he said.” – Comment: Lies, and the Lying Liars that tell them.

Trump Unveils Space-Based Missile Defense Strategy – by Carla Babb – https://www.voanews.com/a/trump-to-unveil-space-based-missile-defense-strategy/4747188.html – “PENTAGON — President Donald Trump unveiled the military’s long-delayed Missile Defense Review (MDR), the first overhaul of U.S. missile defense policy since 2010… Speaking at the Pentagon Thursday, Trump said his plan will allow the United states to detect and destroy missiles “anywhere, anytime, anyplace.”.. ‘It is not enough to keep pace with our adversaries, we must outpace them at every turn,’ he said… Officials say the doctrine, initially expected in 2017, has been frequently rewritten to keep up with changing missile threats posed by North Korea, China, Russia and Iran.” – Comment: I want some of what he’s smoking.

Catherine Austin Fitts – Federal Government Running Secret Open Bailout – Interview by Greg Hunter (44 min) – In which Catherine argues that the Constitutional protections for property rights have been entirely undermined by massive back-door manipulation of statutes and regulations, and that we have entered an era of unprecedented dangers.

On Originalism in Constitutional Interpretation – by: Steven G. Calabresi – https://constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/white-pages/on-originalism-in-constitutional-interpretation – “Originalism is grounded in the two-century-long movement toward constitutionalism, and it is behind the U.S. Constitution itself. Consider the following ten purposes that underlie the U.S. Constitution. Critically, all of these counsel in favor of an originalist rather than a living constitutionalist interpretation of the text of the Constitution, which would undermine the accomplishment of these purposes at every turn.” (emphasis added)

A Border Barrier Solution – by Sartre – https://www.veteransnewsreport.com/2019/01/15/a-border-barrier-solution/ – “The connotation of slavery has a 21st century meaning that the progressive collectivists do not understand. Yet, they are the most eager advocates of pushing for a divided country. Today’s society is designed to keep citizens in a “PC” slavery that is a hallmark of open borders invaders and their proponents. This res publica mindset does not advance or defend a commonwealth… Establishing an effective barrier is necessary to preserve the integrity of our territorial boundaries. However, the lack of will in Congress or in the Federal courts has proven that a sensible resolution to an entirely avoidable conflict is unlikely. So consider a method of action that can sidestep the radical extremists who are the neo-establishment… President Trump should direct the military to create an outpost that would be constructed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. Trump should direct funds from the foreign aid allotments that go to countries that work against our own national interest. The key to this option is to lease from Mexico a one mile corridor south of the current border where a permanent barrier wall would be built outside the jurisdiction of the U.S. Congress and Federal courts.”

From the Signs-Of-The-Times Desk: Does Society Realize It Is Being Initiated? (47 min) – from Truthstream Media, Aaron & Melissa Dykes

“Is the US Planning to Wage War on Russia and China?”: Interview by Bonnie Faulkner with Prof. Michel Chossudovsky – https://southfront.org/is-the-us-planning-to-wage-war-on-russia-and-china-interview-with-prof-michel-chossudovsky/ – “I think that we’re at a very dangerous crossroads in our history because there’s an evolving situation in the Middle East. There’s a shift in alliances. There’s a global military agenda. Let’s bear in mind that since 2001 we have had a whole sequence of military operations, some of them conducted by US allies, but invariably Washington has been behind the wars in Afghanistan, Syria, Libya, Lebanon, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and so on, and of course, Ukraine. So essentially what is unfolding in 2019 – in fact, it has been unfolding for a long period of time – is a global military agenda. It’s the globalization of war.”

Pompeo Turns Reality Upside Down – by Philip M. Giraldi – https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2019/01/17/pompeo-turns-reality-upside-down.html – “Along the way Pompeo trots out a lot of half-truths and even completely fabricated lies, saying that America’s “timidity” had let to the rise of ISIS, had enabled Iran’s government to crush the “Green Revolution,” had freed Tehran to interfere all over the region, had allowed Hezbollah to accumulate a massive arsenal to threaten Israel, and had permitted Bashar al-Assad to kill his own people with chemical weapons. And worst of all, there was a false desire for peace that led to ‘a [nuclear] deal with Iran, our common enemy.’.. Pompeo concludes from the record of calamities that ‘So today, what did we learn from all of this? We learned that when America retreats, chaos often follows. When we neglect our friends, resentment builds. And when we partner with enemies, they advance…’ “

US Navy moves toward unleashing killer robot ships on the world’s oceans – by David B. Larter – https://www.defensenews.com/naval/2019/01/15/the-us-navy-moves-toward-unleashing-killer-robot-ships-on-the-worlds-oceans/ – ” ‘It’s a shift in mindset that says, instead of putting as much stuff on the ship for as much money as I have, you start thinking in a different way,’ Boxall said in a December interview. ‘You start saying: ‘How small can my platform be to get everything I need to be on it?’.. We want everything to be only as big as it needs to be. You make it smaller and more distributable, given all dollars being about equal. And when I look at the force, I think: ‘Where can we use unmanned so that I can push it to a smaller platform?’ ‘… The Navy is getting ready to find out.”

Is Bolton Steering Trump into War with Iran? – by Patrick J. Buchanan – https://buchanan.org/blog/is-bolton-steering-trump-into-war-with-iran-135696 – “Last September, when Shiite militants launched three mortar shells into the Green Zone in Baghdad, which exploded harmlessly in a vacant lot, Bolton called a series of emergency meetings and directed the Pentagon to prepare a menu of targets, inside Iran, for U.S. air and missile strikes in retaliation… Bolton’s former deputy, Mira Ricardel, reportedly told a gathering the shelling into the Green Zone was “an act of war” to which the U.S. must respond decisively… Bolton has long believed a U.S. confrontation with Iran is both inevitable and desirable. In 2015, he authored a New York Times op-ed whose title, “To Stop Iran’s Bomb, Bomb Iran,” said it all. He has urged that “regime change” in Iran be made a declared goal of U.S. foreign policy.”(emphasis added)

Connecticut Governor Lamont can’t wait to bathe the state he took an oath to protect with 5G radiation:Governor Ned Lamont’s 2019 State of the State Address – https://www.nbcconnecticut.com/news/local/Governor-Ned-Lamonts-2019-State-of-the-State-Address-504117451.html – “Second, to attract millennials, top talent and leading companies, Connecticut will need to invest wisely in its urban centers – making them affordable and lively, where families want to live, work and play. That means great schools, safe streets and by making our cities the first with 5G in New England. The telecommunication companies are ready to start building – let’s harness that excitement, and get WiFi access into every rural town. ” (emphasis added) – Comment: I would assume that The Alliance has Lamont on their short list of perpetrators.

DC court says Holocaust survivors can sue Hungary in the US for huge reparations – by Yaakov Schwartz – https://www.timesofisrael.com/dc-court-says-holocaust-survivors-can-sue-hungary-in-the-us-for-huge-reparations/ – “The second-highest court in the United States has reinstated a lawsuit brought by a group of Holocaust survivors and their families against the government of Hungary and its national railroad. The class action suit demands restitution for the role Hungary played in the murder of 500,000 Jews and the seizure of their property during World War II… Setting the stage for what could be a landmark civil suit running into the tens of billions of dollars, Judge Patricia A. Millett wrote for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on December 28 that Hungary could not force the plaintiffs to have the case tried in a Hungarian court… The decision overturned that of a federal judge who ruled that the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty between Hungary and the Allied powers granted Hungary immunity.”

PG&E prepares bankruptcy filing after California wildfires – by Liana B. Baker, Mike Spector, Jessica DiNapoli – https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pg-e-us-bankruptcy-idUSKCN1P815B – “Its shares plunged 52 percent on Monday to $8.38, giving it a market capitalization of less than $4.5 billion. The stock is down more than 80 percent from late 2017, before wildfires devastated PG&E’s service areas. Bond prices also fell sharply on Monday… PG&E’s chief executive officer was replaced on Sunday by General Counsel John Simon on an interim basis… San Francisco-based PG&E is working on lining up roughly $5.5 billion in so-called debtor-in-possession financing to help operations during bankruptcy proceedings… The utility said the bankruptcy process would not affect electric or natural gas services for customers. Company advisers expect that it may take up to two years to emerge from bankruptcy.’

From the Bat-Shit-Crazy? Desk: US won’t accept Hezbollah as ‘major presence’ in Lebanon: Pompeo – from Reuters – http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2019/Jan-10/473731-pompeo-us-wont-accept-hezbollah-as-major-presence-in-lebanon.ashx – “U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Thursday Hezbollah is a major presence in Lebanon, but the U.S. won’t accept this as the status quo… Pompeo also described the United States was a “force for good” in the Middle East and remained committed to the “complete dismantling” of the Daesh (ISIS) threat despite its decision to withdraw troops from Syria… ‘When America retreats, chaos follows,’ he said in a speech at the American University in Cairo in which he also urged Middle Eastern countries to do more to combat Daesh militants.” (emphasis added)

For the Week of 1/7/18:

Routine Vaccination Kills UK Cancer Expert Shortly After The Jab – by Catherine Frompovich – https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/routine-vaccination-kills-uk-cancer-expert-shortly-after-the-jab.html – “The Express online featured this headline: ‘Tragedy as top cancer doctor dies after yellow fever jab in one in 100,000 chance.’.. That’s the chance everyone takes when they submit to taking unproven vaccines with totally toxic ingredients: neurotoxins, Thimerosal [ethyl mercury], aluminum in any of four formulations, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80, foreign DNA, diploid cells, unknown viruses and mycoplasma…. Vaccine-associated neurotropic disease (2), previously described as post-vaccinal encephalitis (1), is a known rare adverse event associated with yellow fever vaccination. Age less than 9 months and immunosuppression are known risk factors for this adverse event. (See CONTRAINDICATIONS and ADVERSE REACTIONS sections.).. Ah ha! It says it right there under Contraindications that: Yellow fever vaccines must be considered as a possible, but rare, cause of vaccineassociated viscerotropic disease (2) (previously described as multiple organ system failure), the apparent cause of Dr. Gore’s death!”

The Crash Of The “Everything Bubble” Started In 2018 – Here’s What Comes Next In 2019 – by Brandon Smith – https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/the-crash-of-the-everything-bubble-started-in-2018-heres-what-comes-next-in-2019.html – “In 2018, a very significant economic change occurred which sealed the fate of the U.S. economy as well as numerous other economies around the globe. This change was the reversal of central bank policy. The era of stimulus and artificial support of various markets, including stocks, is beginning to fade away as the Federal Reserve pursues policy tightening, including higher interest rates and larger cuts to its balance sheet… As I predicted in September in my article ‘The Everything Bubble: When Will It Finally Crash?’, the crash accelerated in December, as the Fed raised interest rates to their neutral rate of inflation and increased balance sheet cuts to $50 billion per month. In 2019, this crash will continue as the fed resumes cuts once again in mid-January… It is important to note that when we speak of a crash in alternative economic circles, we are not only talking about stock markets. Mainstream economists often claim that stocks are a predictive indicator for the future health of the wider economy. This is incorrect. Stocks are actually a trailing indicator; they tend to crash well after all other fundamentals have started to decline.”

President Trump’s Losing Strategy: Embracing Bolsonoro’s Brazil and Confronting China – by Prof. James Petras – https://www.globalresearch.ca/president-trumps-losing-strategy-embracing-brazil-confronting-china/5665064 – “The US embraces a regime doomed to failure and threatens the world’s most dynamic economy. President Trump has lauded Brazil’s newly elected President Jair Bolsonaro and promises to promote close economic, political, social and cultural ties. In contrast the Trump regime is committed to dismantling China’s growth model, imposing harsh and pervasive sanctions, and promoting the division and fragmentation of greater China… Washington’s choice of allies and enemies is based on a narrow conception of short-term advantage and strategic losses… In this paper we will discuss the reasons why the US-Brazilian relation fits in with Washington’s pursuit for global domination and why Washington fears the dynamic growth and challenge of an independent and competitive China.”

NewsGuard Launches War on Alternative Media – by Whitney Webb – https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/newsguard-launches-war-on-alternative-media.html – “Soon after the social media “purge” of independent media sites and pages this past October, a top neoconservative insider — Jamie Fly — was caught stating that the mass deletion of anti-establishment and anti-war pages on Facebook and Twitter was “just the beginning” of a concerted effort by the U.S. government and powerful corporations to silence online dissent within the United States and beyond… As MintPress News Editor-in-Chief Mnar Muhawesh recently wrote, MintPress was informed that it was under review by an organization called NewsGuard Technologies, which described itself to MintPress as simply a “news rating agency” and asked Muhawesh to comment on a series of allegations, several of which were blatantly untrue. However, further examination of this organization reveals that it is funded by and deeply connected to the U.S. government, neo-conservatives, and powerful monied interests, all of whom have been working overtime since the 2016 election to silence dissent to American forever-wars and corporate-led oligarchy… More troubling still, NewsGuard — by virtue of its deep connections to government and Silicon Valley — is lobbying to have its rankings of news sites installed by default on computers in U.S. public libraries, schools, and universities as well as on all smartphones and computers sold in the United States… In other words, as NewsGuard ’s project advances, it will soon become almost impossible to avoid this neocon-approved news site’s ranking systems on any technological device sold in the United States. Worse still, if its efforts to quash dissenting voices in the U.S. are successful, NewsGuard promises that its next move will be to take its system global.”

French Government Moves to Impose a Police State in Response to Gilets Jaunes – by Kurt Nimmo – https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/french-government-moves-to-impose-a-police-state-in-response-to-gilets-jaunes.html – “Speaking on French TV channel TF1, Prime Minister Philippe said the government would support a ‘new law punishing those who do not respect the requirement to declare [protests], those who take part in unauthorized demonstrations and those who arrive at demonstrations wearing face masks’… Moreover, the French state will ban activists—described as “known troublemakers”—from participating in demonstrations. In order to make identifying and singling out these activists more easy, the government will also outlaw face masks… The protesters will face tougher penalties for taking part in undeclared demonstrations, covering their faces, and would be required to pay for the damage they cause, Philippe said on France’s TF1 television. More than 80,000 police officers will be mobilized nationwide for an expected fresh round of protests next Saturday, he said… Budget Minister Gerald Darmanin urged the state to exercise “ultra-severity” against French citizens opposed to being fleeced and ignored… For a former French minister, the only appropriate response by the state is murder. Luc Ferry has called for police to shoot and kill protesters attacking police… Violence and murder are a reflexive response by the state when its authority is challenged and other tactics—for instance, demonizing protesters as either right or left extremists—fail to put an end to protests.”

Trump is willing to take military action in Syria again if needed — Pompeo – https://www.rt.com/usa/448481-trump-military-action-syria/ – “Pompeo struck a similar tone on Thursday, declaring that the US will still carry out airstrikes in Syria as the need arises, and will not completely abandon the region until the “complete dismantling of the ISIS threat” is achieved. Pompeo also promised continued airstrikes in Yemen, which has been pounded by US and Saudi strikes since 2015. He also declared that no foreign aid will be given to Syria until Iranian forces completely withdraw from the country… Originally slated to take between 60 and 100 days, Trump’s withdrawal from Syria could take slightly longer. Bolton said at the weekend that there was no set timetable for the pullout, noting that ‘the timetable flows from the policy decisions that we need to implement.’.. Several thousand IS fighters still remain active in Syria. The terror group has lost 98 percent of the territory it held at the height of its power in 2014, however. Whereas the group once claimed large swathes of Iraq and Syria, it now controls just a small pocket of desert on the Iraqi/Syrian border… Pompeo’s choice of Cairo to deliver his address to the Muslim world at large is a symbolic one. Former President Barack Obama also chose the Egyptian capital as the stage for his address to the region in 2009, when he took a more apologetic tone to Pompeo, apologizing for American intervention in the region and reaching out to the leaders of Iran for reconciliation. In his speech, Pompeo declared the results of Obama’s policies “disastrous,” and said ‘the days of self-inflicted American shame are over.’ ” (emphasis added)

From the Rust-Never-Sleeps Desk: U.S. greenhouse gas emissions spiked in 2018 — and it couldn’t happen at a worse time – by Chris Mooney and Brady Dennis – https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/us-greenhouse-gas-emissions-spiked-in-2018–and-it-couldnt-happen-at-a-worse-time/2019/01/07/68cff792-12d6-11e9-803c-4ef28312c8b9_story.html – “The findings, published Tuesday by the independent (sic) economic research firm Rhodium Group, mean that the United States now has a diminishing chance of meeting its pledge under the 2015 Paris climate agreement to dramatically reduce its emissions by 2025… The findings also underscore how the world’s second-largest emitter, once a global leader in pushing for climate action, has all but abandoned efforts to mitigate the effects of a warming world. President Trump has said he plans to officially withdraw the nation from the Paris climate agreement in 2020 and in the meantime has rolled back Obama-era regulations aimed at reducing the country’s carbon emissions… ‘We have lost momentum. There’s no question,’ Rob Jackson, a Stanford University professor who studies emissions trends, said of both U.S. and global efforts to steer the world toward a more sustainable future… The sharp emissions rise was fueled primarily by a booming economy, researchers found.” (emphasis added) – Comment: The WaPo fulfills its functions. A booming economy, hmmm – Where people are driving less than ever.

Leak reveals Indian govt’s plan to amend digital identity law – Is India’s controversial digital identity program a public policy that has been hijacked by private business? – by Saikat Datta – www.atimes.com/article/leak-reveals-indian-govts-plan-to-amend-digital-identity-law/ – “A number of lawyers, activists and constitutional experts immediately raised a flag against the program, saying it had enormous potential for misuse. They said this unfettered collection of data could easily be used to carry out mass surveillance by the government and make citizens vulnerable. They also pointed out that a similar digital identity program in the United Kingdom (UK) had been struck down once the British government realized its potential for misuse… But a group of technologists and businesses, who saw the potential business spin-offs from this massive database, argued that such a project could propel businesses and technology spin-offs worth vast sums. Worried at the rising pitch against the Aadhaar program, and a hostile report from the Parliament’s standing committee on finance, they banded together to float a “think tank” and foundation called iSpirt.” – Comment: Technocracy brooks no caution.

For the Week of 12/31/18:

BOOM: Obama Deep State Put Trump-Russia Intel Scam Into Play IN APRIL 2016 – At Exact Same Time Candidate Trump Won GOP Primaries – by Jim Hoft – https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2019/01/boom-obama-deep-state-put-trump-russia-intel-scam-into-play-in-april-2016-at-exact-same-time-candidate-trump-won-gop-primary/ – “Between the Wisconsin and Connecticut Republican primaries in April of 2016, the Deep State criminals in the Obama Administration created their plan of attack on the Trump campaign. They attempted to tie candidate Trump to Russians, knowing that their links to Russia with Uranium One were open to criticism and alleged criminal acts… By the end of April, 2016, the Deep State of Obama, Comey, Brennan, Kerry and others had already put in place spies on Trump team members, and allegations of a made up company, DCLeaks, that allegedly hacked DNC emails. They also began their sinister Trump – Russia collusion fairy tale… April 2016 will go down in history as the month that a sitting President (Obama) began his scheme using the intelligence community of the United States to spy on its competing campaign in the US election in an effort to prevent them from winning the 2016 Presidential election.”

Nicaragua and the Corruption, Co-optation of Human Rights – by Stephen Sefton – https://www.globalresearch.ca/nicaragua-corruption-co-optation-human-rights/5664733 – “One farcical aspect of their approach has been to accuse the Nicaraguan government of repressing local media when their main sources by far are abundant citations of false reports from those same local media relayed via dishonest local human rights NGOs… Secondly, in theoretical terms, the approach of the IACHR, the UNOHCHR and foreign NGOs like Amnesty International has been to exclude violations by non-State actors, exactly the same faithless alibi they all used during the Cold War. But that theoretical framework has been outdated since 1993 when the UN Human Rights Convention in Vienna explicitly recognized the role of non-State actors in human rights abuses (thus recognizing how the US government and its allies used irregular forces, like the Contra in Nicaragua, RENAMO in Mozambique and UNITA in Angola, to apply systematic terrorism against civilian populations).”

Senior Kurdish Official: Deal With Damascus Is Inevitable, Kurdish Forces May Join Syrian Army – https://southfront.org/senior-kurdish-official-deal-with-damascus-is-inevitable-kurdish-forces-may-join-syrian-army/ – ” ‘Reaching a solution between the autonomous administration and the Syrian government is inevitable because our areas are part of Syria,’ Redur Khalil told the AFP… The Kurdish commander also revealed that negotiations between his group and Damascus to reach a final formulation for administering the northern city of Manbij are showing some “positive signs.” Kahlil said that if a solution was reached there, it could be applied to the SDF-held areas in the governorate of Deir Ezzor… ‘We still have some differences with the central government, which need negotiations with international support,’ Khalil said… Kahlil added that Russia could be a guarantor of any agreement between the SDF and Damascus and he does not rule out the possibility of deploying the Syrian Arab Army (SAA) along the border with Turkey.”

“Sykes-Picot On Acid”: US Considering Syria Partition Plan Amidst Troop Exit – The US doesn’t want pro-Turkish forces to slaughter the Kurds, but neither does the US want the Kurds to strike a deal with Assad – http://theduran.com/sykes-picot-on-acid-us-considering-syria-partition-plan-amidst-troop-exit/ – “However, it’s likely too late, as the Kurds have already beguninviting Syrian forces into previously autonomous SDF/Kurdish zones… According to the WSJ, the administration’s Syria envoy has a plan that seeks to mitigate the risks of either a Kurdish slaughter or an Assad takeover. The plan is visualized in a classified, undisclosed map that proposes something officials have described as “Sykes-Picot on acid”: ‘Mr. Jeffrey and his State Department team have created a color-coded map of northeastern Syria in an attempt to negotiate a power-sharing plan that could avert a costly Turkish-Kurdish fight in the area‘…However, keeping their forces apart should Mr. Erdogan’s troops enter Syria could prove difficult.”

Stock Market Crash- YOU ARE IN ONE. By Gregory Mannarino (14 min)

Has Trump Been Outmaneuvered on Syria Troop Withdrawal? – Trump’s possible backtracking on withdrawal from Syria means he may have been once again outmaneuvered by the Deep State – by Virginia State Senator Dick Black – http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/50879.htm – “It is instructive that, despite President Donald Trump’s strong directive on a rapid Syrian pull-out, apparently not one soldier or Marine has departed Syria. And the argument that they’re tied up with fighting ISIS doesn’t hold water. On Syria’s southern border, across from Jordan, lies the U.S. base at al Tanf. ISIS is nowhere around. Al Tanf’s sole purpose is to hold and defend the sovereign territory of Syria (using a 55 km no-fly zone). It denies Syria the right to restore order and provide aid to starving Syrians trapped in the American zone… Al Tanf is the canary in the Syrian coal mine. If Trump’s pullout has any credibility, the 800 or so troops and equipment assigned there could be withdrawn across the Jordanian border within 24 hours. Their failure to do so suggests duplicity by our foreign policy shadow government. The Pentagon seems unresponsive to the Commander-in-Chief, and he has surrounded himself with advisors whose allegiance does not lie with him–or with the American people… Republican Senator Richard H. Black represents the 13th district of Virginia, encompassing parts of both Loudoun and Prince Williams Counties in northern Virginia.”

Turkey Is Seeking Russian Permission to Use Syrian Airspace – https://russia-insider.com/en/turkey-seeking-russian-permission-use-syrian-airspace/ri25782 – “Ankara will also ask for coordination with Russian forces to persuade Assad forces to avoid targeting Turkish air force planes and helicopters… In the third week of December there were unconfirmed local reports that Assad’s forces might unilaterally declare a no-fly zone upon request of the YPG… Ankara officials say they think that Damascus could not initiate such an action without Moscow’s permission and that although Assad’s forces have S-200 and S-300 air-defense systems, they are not technically capable. Turkish sources have been telling Al-Monitor that Ankara has been closely monitoring Israel’s “preventive” air attacks against Syrian targets… Ankara experts say any operation Turkey plans cannot be canceled just because Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s forces have air defense systems. As a deterrent against Assad’s forces, Ankara primarily would rely on air-to-surface missiles and the TEBER-82 precision smart weapon, which were recently developed by Turkey.”

Bipartisan Support for Gun Confiscation Is Growing – by José Niño – https://www.activistpost.com/2019/01/bipartisan-support-for-gun-confiscation-is-growing.html – “Red flag laws, or Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), are the euphemistic label for the gun control push du jour blazing across the nation. Under red flag laws, law enforcement has the ability to confiscate an individual’s firearms if they are deemed a threat to themselves or others. A simple accusation from a family member, friend, or associate will suffice to seize someone’s firearms… Thirteen states currently have red flag laws on the books, with dozens more filing their own versions. What started out as a state-level movement may have some legs at the federal level. Although it’s true that Congressional Democrats are making gun control a major theme of their legislative agenda, it’s naïve to think red flag laws are only relevant because “gun-grabbing” Democrats have taken power… As we’ll see below, red flag laws have a history of bipartisan support. And when any piece of legislation has Democrats and Republicans locking arms in agreement, you know trouble lies ahead.”

‘New Chapter’ in Space Exploration as China Reaches Far Side of the Moon – by Steven Lee Myers and Zoe Mou – https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/02/world/asia/china-change-4-moon.html – “China now plans to begin fully operating its third space station by 2022, to put astronauts in a lunar base by later in that decade, and to send probes to Mars, including ones that could return samples of the Martian surface back to Earth… The crater where the Chinese landed is the oldest and deepest on the moon, so the probe’s discoveries may offer insights into the moon’s origins and evolution. And some scientists suspect that the surrounding basin may be rich in minerals. If exploiting the moon’s resources is the next step in space development, a successful mission could leave the Chinese better positioned.”

From the Bolsheviks-2.0 Desk: The ‘Green New Deal’: A Radical Mandate for Government Control of American Society – ‘Ocasio-Cortez sees this plan is being a vehicle through which social equality might finally realized, as it will use reparations to right historical injustices’ – by Tom Elliott – https://news.grabien.com/story-ocasio-cortezs-green-new-deal-radical-mandate-government-con – “Incoming New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez brings with her a massive online following, influence she says she’ll deploy only in support of candidates and politicians who support her plan(yeah, right) for a “Green New Deal.”.. ● The installation of a “national, energy-efficient, “smart grid.” (can you say “5G”?) ● “Upgrading every residential and industrial building for state-of-the-art energy efficiency, comfort and safety” ● “Eliminating greenhouse gas emissions from the manufacturing, agricultural and other industries” as well as from America’s transportation and infrastructure network ● Funding “massive investment” in reducing existing greenhouse gasses… Later in the document, Ocasio Cortez’s plan(sic) imagines creating a national jobs force to help people participate in this “transition.” The Green New Deal, it says, shall ‘provide all members of our society, across all regions and all communities, the opportunity, training and education to be a full and equal participant in the transition, including through a job guarantee program to assure a living wage job to every person who wants one.’ ” (emphasis added) – Comment: To quote Poppy Bush, “The New World Order is coming into view.”

MH17 Turnabout: Ukraine’s Guilt Now Proven – by Eric Zuesse – https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/12/31/mh17-turnabout-ukraine-guilt-now-proven.html – “Precisely what the method was, by which the direct perpetrators brought down the MH17, has gradually become clearer, despite this continuation of Western secrecy (and Ukraine’s veto-power over the ‘findings’) regarding the contents of the black boxes, and of the US satellite images, and of the Ukrainian air-traffic-control radar recordings, and of other evidence-sources that are still being held secret by The West and not made available to their ‘news’ media nor to anyone outside a tight official circle of those Western nations’ intelligence agencies… But now, Russia has actually — on 17 September 2018 — exposed the outright fraudulence of the JIT’s 24 May 2018 presentation, and The West (the US Government’s allies) entirely ignored the conclusive evidence that that presentation by the JIT itself actually contained and to which Russia was pointing, so that there can no longer be reasonable doubt about The West’s intentional and still ongoing fraudulence regarding the entire MH17 matter.”

Five Weeks After the Guardian’s Viral Blockbuster Assange/Manafort Scoop, No Evidence Has Emerged – Just Stonewalling – by Glenn Greenwald – https://theintercept.com/2019/01/02/five-weeks-after-the-guardians-viral-blockbuster-assangemanafort-scoop-no-evidence-has-emerged-just-stonewalling/ – “None of this is an aberration. Quite the contrary, it has become par for the Trump/Russia course. One major story after the next falls apart, and there is no accountability, reckoning or transparency (neither CNN nor MSNBC, for instance, have to date bothered to explain how they both “independently confirmed” the totally false story that Donald Trump, Jr. was offered advanced access to the WikiLeaks email archive, all based on false claims about the date of an email to him from a random member of the public)… Nor is it atypical for the Guardian when it comes to its institutionally blinding contempt for Assange: during the election, the paper was forced to retract its viral report from political reporter Ben Jacobs, who decided to assert, without any whiff of a basis, that Assange has a “long had a close relationship with the Putin regime.”.. The U.S media has become very adept at outrage rituals whenever they are denounced as “Fake News.” They should spend some time trying to become as skilled in figuring out why such attacks resonate for so many.”

Israel Is Bad for America – A New York Times Columnist explains why – by Philip Giraldi – http://www.unz.com/pgiraldi/israel-is-bad-for-america/ – “It is time for American Jews like Bret Stephens to come to the realization that not everything that is good for Israel is good for the U.S. The strategic interests of the two countries, if they were openly discussed in either the media or in congress, would be seen to be often in direct conflict. Somehow in Stephens’ twisted mind the 1948 theft of Palestinian lands and the imposition of an apartheid system to control the people is in some way representative of a liberal world order… If one were to suggest that Stephens should move to Israel since his primary loyalty clearly lies there, there would be accusations of anti-Semitism, but in a sense, it is far better to have him stick around blathering from the pulpit of The New York Times. When he writes so ineptly about how Donald Trump Is Bad for Israel the real message that comes through loud and clear is how bad Israel is for America.”

Independent research confirms that rampant glyphosate use has contributed to the increase in chronic diseases worldwide – by Tracey Watson – https://www.naturalnews.com/2018-12-31-glyphosate-use-has-contributed-to-the-rise-of-chronic-disease.html – “While Monsanto stands 100 percent behind its product, insisting repeatedly that it is totally safe, the reality is that as the use of Roundup has steadily increased, so have the number of people with chronic diseases like diabetes, celiac disease, asthma, heart disease and others… This is hardly a coincidence, and the explanation for the link between glyphosate use and chronic disease is quite simple: As reported by Natural Health 365, glyphosate destroys the “good” bacteria in the gut, bacteria which are vital to a host of functions, including boosting immunity, fighting infection, nutrient absorption, the production of fatty acids and vitamins, and the neutralization of toxins… As this toxic chemical destroys good bacteria it affects multiple bodily functions, creating a perfect storm for the development of disease.”

US Army Awards Raytheon $200 Million Contract For Phalanx Gatling Guns – https://southfront.org/us-army-awards-raytheon-200-million-contract-for-phalanx-gatling-guns/ – “The 20 mm rounds consist of a 15 mm penetrator encased in a plastic case and a lightweight metal pusher. Each bullet fired by the Phalanx cost around $30 each, and the gun typically shoots +3,000 rounds per minute when engaging a target (that’s $90,000 a minute, folks)… The Phalanx cannons are usually activated as a last resort, and the effective range is approximately 5.5 miles… As to why the Army needs $200 million of high-tech Gatling guns for its military bases is beyond our wildest imagination, then again, as we have mentioned before, the US, China, and Russia are on the brink of Cold War 2.0.” – Comment: $200 Mil is chump change. Besides, it’s all just political kabuki.

Ukrainian Forces Take Control Over Two Thirds Of “Gray Zone” In Donbass: Official – https://southfront.org/ukrainian-forces-take-control-over-two-thirds-of-gray-zone-in-donbass-official/ – “Ukrainian forces have taken under control two thirds of the so-called “grey security zone” in Donbass, Ukrainian presidential advisor and aide to the defense minister Yury Biryukov told Pryamoy TV channel on Wednesday… ‘From the situation that we began with in May 2014, two thirds of the territory were liberated. Almost the whole ‘gray zone’ was liberated and taken under control,’ Biryukov said… The so-called “gray security zone” separates the forces of the self-proclaimed Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics (DPR and LPR), and the Ukrainian army. The borders of the zone are defined by the Minsk Agreements, and sending troops to settlements in the gray zone constitutes a violation of the Minsk deal.” (emphasis added) – Comment: More political kabuki.

So the U.S. is bringing our troops home from Afghanistan? – CIA oversees grisly war crimes in Afghanistan – Report sheds light on US intelligence agency-backed forces operating with no rules of engagement – http://www.atimes.com/article/cia-oversees-grizzly-war-crimes-in-afghanistan/ – “The Central Intelligence Agency, the Times reported, is overseeing an Afghan strike force operating under none of the constraints to which conventional Afghan or US troops are beholden… Officials say the tactics are prompting more Afghanis to side with the Taliban, the group that the US has tried keep out of power since the initial invasion in 2001… The first three paragraphs of the article describe war crimes committed by the CIA-backed forces: ‘Razo Khan woke up suddenly to the sight of assault rifles pointed at his face, and demands that he get out of bed and onto the floor… ‘Within minutes, the armed raiders had separated the men from the women and children. Then the shooting started… ‘As Mr Khan was driven away for questioning, he watched his home go up in flames. Within were the bodies of two of his brothers and of his sister-in-law Khanzari, who was shot three times in the head. Villagers who rushed to the home found the burned body of her three-year-old daughter, Marina, in a corner of a torched bedroom.’ ”